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XBox (Games)

Xbox 360 Launches In Europe 56

Posted by Zonk from the next-gen-old-country dept.
The Xbox 360 has launched in Europe, to similarly high demand as in the U.S. The BBC has details on the long lines and consumer reaction, and Next Generation has some information from Microsoft on how the launch is going. From the BBC article: "The technology giant has been forced to defend itself against accusations it has failed to provide enough consoles ahead of Christmas. Some 300,000 Xbox 360s are likely to be available for Friday's European launch, though demand is expected to far exceed this."
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Xbox 360 Launches In Europe More

Xbox 360 Launches In Europe

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  • CD scratching appears to be the most common defect (Score:4, Informative)

    by henk54 ( 935260 ) on Friday December 02, 2005 @12:32PM (#14166884)
    Posted Dec 1, 2005 "Several members from GameSHOUT are getting fedup with Xbox 360 defects. According to Microsoft, they will not refund or replace discs that are scratched from the Xbox 360 video game console. However, they will offer "Perfect Dark Zero" for free. One GameSHOUT member, going by the name "Insanity Rulez" stated that the Microsoft Xbox 360 failed to save his "Call of Duty 2" video game. All stats are gone, and he got an error when making any attempts to resume his game mission. He stated, "I took out my game and checked it over and the 360 had totally ruined my game! It looks like someone took a pencil with the eraser side down [covered with sand paper] and touched the disk while spinning it! There is a perfect circle around the center of the disk and it prevents it from working on certain missions." It's not just one Xbox 360 gamer, it's becoming a daily thing now as more GameSHOUT members report their defects. CD scratching appears to be the most common defect." http://www.gameshout.com/news/122005/article1785.h tm [gameshout.com]
    • If the systems were being used within the guidelines established by MS in the packaging/labeling, then MS could be held liable for the damages. I don't know if sending a free copy of PD0 is restitution enough, but I smell the threat of a class-action lawsuit... and given the low marginal mfgring costs of 360 games, I think MS would rather ship replacements than have to pay even more lawyers.

      The problem is the need for preponderance of evidence to show that the 360 caused the problem, and that the 360 was
      • "Class-action lawsuit" is probably the most overused and most misused phrase on the Internet when it comes to people bitching about game consoles. If you bought a turd in a box, the layer of said turd doesn't owe you anything.

        • If you bought a turd in a box, the layer of said turd doesn't owe you anything.

          Unless of course, the layer of said turd told you it was gold and sexual relations with Angelina Jolie before you opened the box.

          Then you could sue.

          The X-box 2pi is NOT marketed as a disc scratching machine, so theoretically the warranty of merchantability should cover the damage done to the discs, seeing as the xbox2pi is marketed for the intended purpose of playing games.

        • " If you bought a turd in a box, the layer of said turd doesn't owe you anything."

          Not true -- if you purchase a turd, you expect there to be a turd inside the box. And if there is not, you go to the seller to get a turd replacement. And if you used that turd as compost, just like the instructions said, and it killed all your plants instead of feeding them -- well, then, whoever sold you that turd and told you it was a nutritious compost supplement owes you some more plants.

          This is not a "wouldn't it

    • Re:CD scratching appears to be the most common def (Score:4, Informative)

      by Keeper ( 56691 ) on Friday December 02, 2005 @01:56PM (#14167653)
      The dumbasses changed the orientation of the machine while it was running. The same thing will happen with any 12x dvd drive if you rotate it 90 degrees while the disc is spinnning.

      • So? (Score:4, Informative)

        by oGMo ( 379 ) on Friday December 02, 2005 @02:09PM (#14167776)
        Most 12x DVD drives aren't in a consumer console that are typically subject to appliance-like treatment, not to mention an appliance that's built to stand either way. I have, for instance, moved my PS2 between upright and flat multiple times during play, and have experienced no such problems. If it's that big a problem, the 360 should detect when it's jarred or moved and immediately spin down the drive.

        • Re:So? (Score:5, Informative)

          by Keeper ( 56691 ) on Friday December 02, 2005 @02:24PM (#14167950)
          A 12x DVD drive spins the disc at 7000rpm. You can't defeat physics; the disc will fight any attempt to rotate while spinning at that speed (recall the high school physics experiement where you try to rotate a spinning bicycle tire). Hardware isn't psychic; by the time it will have detected movement the damage is done.

          You're correct, the 360 is built to STAND in either orientation. The unit isn't designed to MOVE while playing a game. It isn't build to withstand some dumbass showing his friends how cool it is that the green light changes its location when he rotates the unit around.

          The manual tells you not to it. Common sense tells you not to it. Physics tells you not to it. Don't do it, and you won't fuck up your game disc. Crying about how much of a dumbass you are isn't going to help.

          The PS2 doesn't spin the disc very fast. If you change orientation fast enough while the disc is spinning you will scratch the disc in the drive. People have done it, and they have complained about it just like these dumbasses.

          • Re:So? (Score:4, Insightful)

            by oGMo ( 379 ) on Friday December 02, 2005 @08:35PM (#14171111)
            You're correct, the 360 is built to STAND in either orientation. The unit isn't designed to MOVE while playing a game. It isn't build to withstand some dumbass showing his friends how cool it is that the green light changes its location when he rotates the unit around.

            Hey, I'm not talking how it's currently designed. That's pretty much a given: you move it, it destroys your games.

            I'm talking about how, if Microsoft had a hair of forethought, they would have done what every successful console manufacturer has done, and design a console to withstand "normal" abuse. I'm not talking about dropping it off a table, but the reality is, kids are going to have this thing on the floor, the power supply is going to be on the floor, it's going to get pushed around and manipulated while in play.

            It doesn't matter what they write in the manual in big red letters. Hell, most of the time, what they write in there comes down to "YOU MUST NOT EVER USE THIS FOR ANY PURPOSE AND IF YOU DO AND IT BURNS DOWN YOUR HOUSE, IT'S NOT OUR FAULT". People don't pay attention to that. People expect their console to be an appliance, not a highly sensitive PC that must be treated with the utmost care lest it destroy your media or overheat. (This is another reason Nintendo stuck with cartridges, despite it ultimately being a poor choice.)

            The manual tells you not to it. Common sense tells you not to it. Physics tells you not to it. Don't do it, and you won't fuck up your game disc. Crying about how much of a dumbass you are isn't going to help.

            The manual tells you not to do a lot of things. Common sense tells me this should withstand a reasonable amount of abuse. Physics? Most people don't know how fast the disc spins on their blackbox console, they just know they put in the shiny CD and the game plays. After all, your portable cd player never had any trouble!

            This comes down to simply not being appropriate for the intended audience. You can build a car and write all sorts of things in the manual, but if you constantly have to monitor the gauges and be sure not to turn too fast, it's going to break. Not because the driver was stupid, because the designer was stupid.

            The PS2 doesn't spin the disc very fast. If you change orientation fast enough while the disc is spinning you will scratch the disc in the drive. People have done it, and they have complained about it just like these dumbasses.

            I have done it, and I haven't had any problems. Sure, I didn't shake it as hard as I could, and I treat my PS2s with hard drives a bit more carefully, but I haven't ruined any games because of it. I have two first-gen PS2s, and they still run fine, despite normal day-to-day wear and tear. There are no massive complaint threads about ruined games. (Disc Read Errors, yes, but Sony fixed that, too.)

            • Common sense tells me this should withstand a reasonable amount of abuse.

              Common sense tells me that my idea of a reasonable amount of abuse differs from yours. Common sense tells me that it is probably a bad idea to fuck with something while it is moving.

              I bet you get pissed off that VCRs break if you put a pb&j sandwich in the slot too.

              • Re:So? (Score:2)

                by oGMo ( 379 )

                Common sense tells me that my idea of a reasonable amount of abuse differs from yours. Common sense tells me that it is probably a bad idea to fuck with something while it is moving.

                Moving? To the common person, nothing appears to be moving. They may be aware a disc is spinning inside, but then, a disc spins inside a portable cd player, or portable dvd player, and this plays DVDs, so what's the big deal? Not everyone can quote you numbers on how many RPMs the disc inside is spinning at. Most peopl

                • Ah, I see. If I call an idiot and idiot I /must/ work for the 360 team. Do you work for the PS3 team? Your perspective seems to be skewed; a proper attitude would be "yeah, the rotational inertia of something moving at seven thousand fucking RPM isn't something a reasonable person would expect a DVD drive to handle."
        • "If it's that big a problem, the 360 should detect when it's jarred or moved and immediately spin down the drive."

          If you read the easy to read XBOX 360 manual, YOU WOULD SEE THAT IT CLEARLY SAYS TO NOT CHANGE THE 360 FROM VERTICAL TO HORIZONTAL OR VICE VERSA WHILE THE SYSTEM IS TURNED ON.

          Since these idiots don't bother to read the manual, they get what they deserve in problems that come about because they assumed the risk of f**king around with the XBOX 360 without reading the manual.

      • There are plenty of others stating they left it in place, and the laser head still has a tendency to scrape the disc. I would imagine its partly due to heat expansion, where gamers say their discs eject really hot after a couple hours playing, the disc probably gets out of round and wobbles more than MS ever anticipated. Especially at 12X or whatever crazy speed at which these are spinning.

        Some stores clerks are reporting rather high return rates on 360 discs because of circular gouges in the surface. E

        • There are plenty of others stating they left it in place

          Unfortunately for them, I don't believe most of them. They all describe the behavior you'd see and hear when rotating the unit, except they make a big fuss about how they didn't move it. If it were a defect in the drive, it would happen consistently to every game they played. These are the same people who drop something they buy on the floor and take it back claiming it came out of the box broken.

          Do some things come out of the box broken? Yeah. Do
    • Sure gives a new meaning to Xbox *360*. Nice 360 degree scratches on all your new shiny HD games. Merry Christmas!
    • THe guys comment about the 360 not saving his call of duty 2 video game is true! Every single time i go to play that bloody game it NEVER saves my games properly.. I seem to always go back to the russian campaign and have to do that stupid training all over again..

      My disc is fine, but the damn game WONT SAVE MY PROGRESS AND IT'S PISSING ME OFF!!!!

      besides that, system has been awesome.. No cd's have been scratched, no over heating issues, no freezing, nothing.. Just been a great experience overall, actua

  • Advertising Taglines (Score:5, Funny)

    by jevvim ( 826181 ) on Friday December 02, 2005 @12:39PM (#14166947) Journal
    If the Windows tagline is "Where Do You Want To Go Today?", then is the Xbox360's "Where Have You Tried Looking Today?"

    • Re:Advertising Taglines (Score:3, Informative)

      by /ASCII ( 86998 )
      I preordered a 360 over a month ago, and was required to pay upon ordering. Turns out that instead of filling the preorders, the reseller instead held an event where they sold 360:s to random people. Don't know when they'll start concentrating on filling orders, but since they already have the money, I'm guessing they're not in a hurry. If you're from Sweden, I suggest you avoid shopping at Webhallen...

      • I preordered a 360 over a month ago, and was required to pay upon ordering. Turns out that instead of filling the preorders, the reseller instead held an event where they sold 360:s to random people.

        This is exactly why I don't pre-order anything anymore, especially if it requires a large down-payment deposit. Now they've got your money, and you don't have any leverage. You would've thought people would learn after things like the ATI 9800 (with Half-Life 2, supposedly) fiasco, or any of the recent _ins

  • Is the "demand going to exceed the supply" or is MS going to make sure that "Supply would be less than the demand."

    I still do not feel like buying a 360. Have to extract a lot of juice from my xbox. No must-haves so far.
  • Seemingly unnoticed by any of the UK press, the original Xbox - now a totally un-newsworthy item of course - has dropped to 79.99 pounds with free postage from two major online sites - play.com [play.com] and Amazon UK [amazon.co.uk].

    Let me see:

    Original Xbox - 80 quid, no overheating problems, over 1,000 games available, game prices around 30 quid and many games in bargain bins at 10-15 quid, "modifiable", can run Linux after "modification", in stock everywhere.

    Xbox 360 - 280 quid, some overheating issues, a few dozen games a

  • Hyped Product X with limited production and moderate demand expected to sell out. Industry analysts not suprised.
    • "Sony CEO Howard Stringer revealed that the company has learned from the launch of the Xbox 360 and will be employing similar but more aggressive tactics. For example, Microsoft managed to create an artificial sell-out demand for their new product by constraining the number of available units. Sony will do the same. In fact Sony will be releasing only three units on launch day. "We also won't be telling customers which stores will be getting the stock to encourage the tradition of lining up in vain for days
  • Well, when you buy the first run of anything there are going to be bugs, so those of you with your disc-molesting 360's, that's what you get. On the topic of 360's crashing, first run and it runs on a windows-based operating system....that explains itself. The supply will be kept less than demand so they can go for the '100% sold, sold out' marketing route to help keep demand up, shady, but it looks nice to see that 100%. I don't think the 360's launch will be very big in Japan, but Europe and America wi
  • I find it amusing that people are giving Microsoft an easy time because "they are doing something that has never been done before" - Referring to the launch in all the countries within a pretty close proximity timewise.

    Sure it hasn't been done, but how does releasing in a ton of different countries make it much different than releasing in one at a time? Sure you *might* be able to get away with blaming shortages on that - but not stuff like overheating or scratching disks. The lack of reasoning in the pre
    • Last I checked current problems with the X-Box 360 are about average for a new console. As in no more than any of the Sony or Nintendo consoles. (About 3% if I remeber right.) So I wouldnt say the reasoning is entirely insane.

      There is currently no evidence to suggest the 360 is a particularly faulty product and most of the stories have no backing to them whatsoever. As one site I read said, someone claimed that they took there 360 back to the shop got a replacement and it had the same problem. The chances o

      • Holy smokes, where to begin. Where to begin...

        Last I checked current problems with the X-Box 360 are about average for a new console. As in no more than any of the Sony or Nintendo consoles. (About 3% if I remeber right.)

        First you knock the complaints as "unsubstantiated", yet then you blurt out meaningless statistics without backing them up yourself. Well, the last time I checked, the problem rate on 360 units was in the double digits varying from 13-16%. Of course, people with problems are more lik

        • 'First you knock the complaints as "unsubstantiated", yet then you blurt out meaningless statistics without backing them up yourself. Well, the last time I checked, the problem rate on 360 units was in the double digits varying from 13-16%. Of course, people with problems are more likely to be vocal (and post, hit online vote tabs, etc.) but that is still a LOT of problems with a new product. Especially after Microsoft already did a merket test run with their first console the original Xbox.'

          Um my point was

  • overheating (Score:2, Interesting)

    by subrama6 ( 157306 )
    i wonder if the overheating issues will be less prevalent in the uk given the necessary voltage differences in the power supply

  • Two complaints (Score:2, Insightful)

    by KDR_11k ( 778916 )
    I'm not going to complain about shortages, I had enough opportunity to buy a core version today and didn't (and now I feel like an idiot because I could have made a big profit on eBay but whatever). What annoys me, though:

    1. The demo kiosks have no games on them. Not a single one. All you can do is watch trailers (using faked footage, the kind they showed at E3, kinda ironic that they call the games section "the best games ever with movie-quality graphics") for a variety of racing and sports games. They cou

  • How Few? (Score:3, Funny)

    by Supurcell ( 834022 ) on Friday December 02, 2005 @01:47PM (#14167585)
    I wonder how few Xboxes will be needed to create a simulated shortage when the Japanese release day comes.
    • Both of them.

    • Re:How Few? (Score:2, Interesting)

      by rAiNsT0rm ( 877553 )
      12. I think that ought to do it, especially since most folks in Japan see the 360 as completely undesireable.

      With 3 close friends in Japan and a couple colleagues, I can honestly say they really could care less overall. Sure they have their fanboy's but it is nowhere like here in the U.S.

      The other funny thing is that the 360 is basically the *exact* same size as the original xbox PLUS the massive overheating power brick. Do they think the Japanese will be thrown off by the color white?

      Also, Microsoft has go

    • Re:How Few? (Score:1, Flamebait)

      by pappy97 ( 784268 )
      I wonder what biased Slashdotters would say if Nintendo fakes a shortage of Nintendo Revolution when they launch time approaches.

      My guess is that the M$-bashers would believe there really was a shortage of Revolution (since Nintendo is such an awesome company and they aren't some evil corporation, right?).

      Why do Slashdotters (Especially those M$-bashers) have to be so god-damned biased????

      YES WE GET THAT YOU DON'T LIKE MICROSOFT.

      Give a rest people.

      • I wonder what biased Slashdotters would say if Nintendo fakes a shortage of Nintendo Revolution when they launch time approaches.

        My guess is that the M$-bashers would believe there really was a shortage of Revolution (since Nintendo is such an awesome company and they aren't some evil corporation, right?).

        Nice strawman. Nintendo hasn't had a shortage of any console. NES, SNES, GB, GBC, GBA, GBA SP, N64, GCN, DS. Attacking a theoretical future pulled out of your ass might seem to be a valid argume

        • There was a shortage of the DS for a while, and Nintendo had to open a third manufacturing plant to meet demand.
      • When there was a shortage of GBA SPs when it released in Japan, Nintendo pulled back all advertising. After a few weeks though, as one could expect, enough systems could be shipped to deal with the initial surge, and the international releases a few weeks after had no problems.

        If Nintendo had have shipped 300 000 Systems for the whole of Europe at the release of the DS, they would have had serious shortages too.

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